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The Story of French

By: Jean-Benoit Nadeau Julie Barlow
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf Canada
ISBN: 0676977340
ISBN-13: 9780676977349
Released: 10 Oct 2006
Average Rating:

Customer Reviews

About much more than simply the French language - By: Mr X, 29 Oct 2007
This book is about much more than one might assume from its title plus what is written on the back cover. It is true that it does describe the evolution of the French language from long ago to the present day but it also talks about the promotion of the language & its spread, initiallly in the area of Western Europe that is now France but also globallly during the last 300 years.

Most interestingly, it gives a good insight to the use of language to spread influence & cultural ideas. For example, France was devastated by the Second World War but & at the end of that war found its global influence much diminished. However, through the promotion of French the Frence government saw a way of spreading French culture & influence aborad without any hope of doing so in other traditional ways. This policy of using "soft power" has been relatively successful too with French cinema being far more developed than say that of the British, & the Alliance Francaise being an institution much better known than the British Council (which I, as a Brit had not heard of until I read this book).

The book is written in a readable style & does not become involved in detailed discussion of grammar but focuses far more on the bigger picture. Also it is a book written by French-Canadians & is therefore much more global in perspective than "France-centric".